Photos of ‘flooded’ airport in Ho Chi Minh City fabricated: authority

A photo posted online showing planes parked in ankle-deep water at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Rumors that Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City was flooded following torrential rains on Sunday evening are false, according to the Airport Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

Photos posted on social media showing planes parked in ankle-deep water at the airport are either fabricated or taken in the past, ACV said in a statement on Monday morning.

The authority, which manages and operates 22 airports in Vietnam including Tan Son Nhat, might be referring to an incident in August 2016, when the Ho Chi Minh City airdrome was actually inundated due to heavy downpours with rainfall of 159 millimeters.

ACV underlined that minor and isolated flooding did occur at some of the airport’s hangars but the problem was resolved quickly without affecting its regular operation.

A photo taken at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on November 26, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The information that Tan Son Nhat Airport’s runways were too flooded for planes to safely land on Sunday is also false, ACV said.

However, the airport corporation said torrential rains as a result of tropical storm Usagi that hit southern Vietnam over the weekend caused multiple flights to and from Ho Chi Minh City to be delayed or canceled.

Planes approaching Tan Son Nhat Airport during the peak of rainfall on Sunday evening were forced to circle above the city or land instead at nearby airports, including one in Cambodia, according to ACV.

Flights have started to resume landing at Tan Son Nhat Airport since late Sunday evening, ACV said.

The Tan Son Nhat International Airport is completely deluged on August 26, 2016.

Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific were among airlines affected by the storm.

The Vietnamese airlines announced on Monday that they would increase the number of flights from the southern metropolis to help relieve passengers who had been trapped inside the airport since Sunday due to the flight cancellations and delays.

“Passengers on cancelled or delayed flights were given free catering and accommodation as per the airline’s policy,” a Vietnam Airlines representative told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Vietjet Air also confirmed on Monday that all of their flights will depart as scheduled the same day after delays caused by Sunday’s storm.

The airlines said it is common practice for flights to be delayed or canceled when weather conditions do not allow for safe departure or landing.

Many sewers along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City have their entrances blocked by garbage on a regular basis, negatively impacting urban esthetics and the environment while helping cause serious flooding.

Despite the sweltering weather in Hanoi these days, many young people still flock to lotus ponds surrounding the capital city’s iconic Ho Tay (West Lake) to pose for Instgram-ready photos with a sea of blooming flowers.